Rolex Submariner 6536/1

Sean Connery’s Bond came by his Rolex Submariner more out of film budget circumstances than being true to his character. In fact, Ian Fleming’s literary incarnation of Bond wore a Rolex vaguely described and matching that of a stainless steel Oyster Perpetual. As the story goes, the production company that brought us Dr. No, the first Bond film, did not have enough money to buy a Rolex for Sean Connery to wear, and Rolex refused to provide one at no charge. However, the film’s producer, Cubby Broccoli, and the mastermind behind what would become the Bond film franchise stepped up and removed the Rolex Submariner on his own wrist and handed it to Connery just before filming began. This particular Submariner had a black strap and is most noticeable when Bond meets Honey Ryder on Crab Key and the two hide in the saltwater marshes from Dr. No’s henchmen. This first use of a Rolex on film by Bond is fairly simple and devoid of any high-tech gadgetry. Like all models before it, the case is stainless steel with a simple bezel and no date function.

A 1960’s Rolex Submariner is remarkably simple. The lack of a date function and the subsequent magnifying bubble for the date window allows the sapphire crystal to remain smooth and unimpeded. The watch itself is large, but still minimalist compared to today’s models. More importantly, however, is the feeling of owning a watch that was in its prime in the original Bond era. Bond was masculine, confident and self-assured just like his Rolex Submariner, and the stainless steel band meant action. While other men might be wearing high-end watches on leather straps, only Bond and the astronauts were wearing all stainless steel timepieces -- and the astronauts were wearing Omega’s.This watch is also without a crown or “shoulders” for the winding stem making it a unique addition to any collection.

Rolex made its mark decades ago as the watchmaker for the man on the move. This might be why Fleming chose a Rolex for Bond or it might be because he himself began wearing one after leaving the Royal Navy and its shadowy intelligence services to begin writing. As for style, its stainless steel design coupled with a black dial, along with the fact that it is vintage Bond, goes a long way to making it the only watch you may ever wear again.